Controversy builds over Avondale's Sachs building

A plan to turn a landmark building in Avondale into an urban
arts colony is meeting opposition from some neighborhood groups and
residents, who had hoped the space would be transformed into a new
social service hub and affordable housing complex.

The Sachs Building. Photo by Lindsey Meyers.

Officials with the city's Department of Planning and Development
recently granted approval to a suburban developer seeking to build
an exhibition space and other arts-related facilities in the Morris
B. Sachs building on the corner of Kimball, Diversey and Milwaukee
Avenues.

The project would include some affordable housing. But the city's
decision effectively scuttled another proposal by two non-profit
organizations, Humboldt Park Social Services and Heartland Housing,
to transform the building into a social services complex offering
twice the number of housing units.

Supporters of the Heartland project say they were encouraged to
apply by Alderman Rey Colon (D-35), after the city bought the
building with Milwaukee-Fullerton TIF funds in late 2006.

After city's decision went public, the Logan Square Neighborhood
Association denounced the move and organized a protest at Colon's
office.

Ellen Ray was among the LSNA organizers who planned the
demonstration, which drew approximately 100 supporters.

"The need for affordable housing in this community is a long-term
structural issue that needs a big solution," she says. "The Sachs
building is ... an important part of that."

The Heartland proposal also included first-floor retail space. The
second floor was to house a medical clinic, and space for
addictions counseling and other social services. The group planned
apartments on the top four floors and in a massive
addition to the rear of the building.

Dr. Theodore Siegel, whose dentist office sits across the street, says he sees the need for more rental units in the
neighborhood, but wouldn't put forty-seven affordable units in one
building.

"I mean, that's why they started breaking up Cabrini Green and
spreading out, so to me it doesn't make sense to go back in that
direction."

He's looking forward to having an arts center in the Sachs
building, which he says has been largely vacant since he moved into
the neighborhood, 24 years ago.

The arts proposal, submitted by Brinshore Development of
Northbrook, offers retail space on the building's first floor,
a gallery and performance space on the second, and a darkroom,
music practice rooms and a bike workshop in the basement. The top
four floors would provide 28 units of affordable housing.

The proposal must be approved by the Community Development
Commission, a citizen advisory board made up of real estate agents,
architects and other experts, and also by the City Council.

Pete Scales, spokesman for the Department of Planning and
Development, says that may happen by the end of this summer.

Lourdes Arencibia, whose mother owns the Crown Tap Room, directly
across the street from the Sachs building, says she's relieved that
the Brinshore plan is getting the city's stamp of approval.

"If we were going to have supportive housing across the street, my
mom wasn't going to pour any more money into this place," she said.
Now, with the news that Brinshore will be moving in, they are
talking about sidewalk seating and renovations.

She says she's hoping the project will help gentrify the
neighborhood, and do for Logan Square what the Flat Iron Building
did for Wicker Park.

That's a prospect some critics fear.

Logan Square resident Abdi Maya, who came to the demonstration
outside of Colon's office, is among them. She says she would prefer
a project that helps her community's most vulnerable members over
one that bolsters property values.

"I don't think anyone has a problem with beautifying the city,
making it more attractive, but if it's going to push other
residents out then there's a couple of us -- and a good majority of
us -- who will not stand for that kind of development," she
says.

Colon says he's supporting the Brinshore proposal because it will
use significantly less taxpayer money than the supportive housing
project. Brinshore is requesting $10 million in city funds to
develop the building. Heartland requested $19 million.

Colon says he supports affordable housing, but that he agrees with
the planning department that the arts center would be better for
his ward.

"I'm a little insulted that I have a bunch of people protesting,"
he says.

Scales says the city is working on other plans to bring affordable
housing to the neighborhood.

"Both proposals were outstanding, and we just had to choose one
over the other, frankly, and the one we didn't chose, we've made a
commitment to work with them to find another site for them to
develop," he says.